LAGERSTRtEMlA. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plcmti^ 



227 



well ail apt ed for pot culture. Some bear 

 ^orciiiL,^ well, or may be allowed to come on 

 into flower Avithout heat ; treat like the 

 ordinary occupants of the greenhouse. 



They can be increased either by seeds or 

 offsets ; the latter method will in most 

 cases be best. All that is necessary is be- 

 foie they start into growth to sepaiate the 

 offsets, Avhich are produced freely, and put 

 them six or eight together in 6 or 7 inch 

 pots in free loam, to which a moderate 

 amount of sand has been added. Stand, 

 wheie worms will not have access to the 

 pots, plunged in ashes, within a frame, the 

 lights of which can be taken off in mild 

 weather, putting them on when there is 

 danger of frost, and coveiing well up so as 

 to prevent the soil being frozen ; or, if 

 there is room, they may have a place in 

 the greenhouse. In all cases see that they 

 get enough water duiing the season of 

 growth ; when they show signs of going to 

 rest, by the leaves beginning to die off, 

 give no more than will just keep the 

 .soil from getting dust dry. When they 

 begin to move again water freely ; if the 

 offsets were strong when taken off, some of 

 them will flower the following year, during 

 which treat as before, giving larger pots 

 if such appiear necessary. 



When to be forced secure the strongest 

 bulbs — keeping the weaker ones by tliem- 

 selves — and attend to them as advised for 

 the young stock until they have made 

 jjlenty of roots and some top growth ; they 

 may then be put in a temjierature of 50° 

 or a little more, which will soon bring 

 them into flower. When the Howers are 

 open move the plants to a cooler jjlace, 

 such as a greenhouse or conseivatory, 

 where they will last for some time in good 

 condition. After the blooming is over con- 

 tinue to supply them with water until the 

 leaves again die down, after which keep 

 diy as before. So treated, they will go on 

 for an indefinite time, yearly increasing by 

 the offsets they make. 



The following are pretty kinds : — 



L. fragrans. Flowers red and white. 



L. pemdula. A tall-growing sort, with 

 red, yellow, and green flowers. 



L. quadricolor. Orange, red, and yellow. 



L. Nelsonii. Yellow. 



L. tigrina. White. 



L. tricolor. Yellow, red, and green. 



L. ciuadricolor and L. tricolor are both 

 good forcers ; the others do better let to 

 come on without forcing, giving them 

 greenhouse treatment through the winter. 



Insects. — These plants are not much 

 troubled with insects e.xcept greenfly, for 

 which fumiyate. 



LAGERSTRCEMIA. 



In these we have a small genus of plants, 

 the most suitable for greenhouse cultiva- 

 tion of which is the East Indian L. indica. 

 This species is often spoilt by being kept 

 too warm, in which case it grows too weak 

 and straggling to bloom freely. A well 

 flowered example of this La^jerstrcemia is a 

 beautiful object ; quite different in ap- 

 pearance from any other plant with which 

 we are acquainted. 



It is increased by cuttings made of the 

 young shoots, taken off early in spring and 

 put several together in 5 or 6 inch pots in 

 sand ; stood in a temperature of 65^, kept 

 moist and moderately close, they will root in 

 the courseof amonth,afterwhich remove the 

 gla.«ses and put singly in 3-inch pots. Good 

 turfy peat answers for it, with some sand 

 added ; keep the little plants close for a week 

 until the roots begin to move, after which 

 stand in a light posit ion, shading from the sun, 

 and giving air in the daytime. Now keep 

 the temperature about 60° in the night, 

 and syringe freely when the house is 

 closed in the afternoons ; as soon as 

 growth has fairly begun pinch out the 

 points of the leading shoots. They will 

 soon require more room, and will bear a 

 liberal shift^ — 7 or 8 inch pots will not be 

 too large ; some rotten manure should now 

 be put in the soil, and the potting should 

 be moderately firm. Put a stick to each 

 leading shoot ; when the plants have 

 begun to move in the new soil they will 

 do through the remainder of the summer, 

 in a gTeenhouse temperature ; continue to 

 shade when necessary, and syringe daily 

 when the weather is sunny, giving plenty 

 of water to the soil. In autumn keep 

 driei' and leave off shading and syringing- 

 Keep through the winter in a temperature 

 of about 45° by night, with the soil somewhat 

 di'V. Early in March cut the shoots well 

 in, after which the atmosphere should be 

 kept a little close, and they should be 

 syringed overhead daily ; the night tem- 

 perature may now be raised three or four 

 degrees. When the plants have broken 

 into growth move them into pots 3 or 4 

 inches larger, using soil similar to that 

 which they have hitlierto had, removing a 

 little of the old material, but not so as to 

 disturb the roots much. Keep a little 

 closer for a week or so, after which admit 

 more air, and again give a little shade in 

 blight weather. If all goes well they will 

 now grow fast, and require a stick to sup- 

 port the leading shoots. By the middle of 

 June they will begin to show flower, and 

 will be benefited by some weak manure- 

 water once or twice a week ; about the 



